Menu

Category Archives: interview

Last summer I got extremely lucky and won a pair of Wulf and Supply sunglasses on a IG competition, who said those don’t work :). I had been eyeing those sunglasses for some time before the competition as I absolutely loved the idea behind them and that they were sustainable and made of natural materials.They are also doing some proper good, they are part of One Tree Planted organization, so with every purchase one tree gets planted.

And it was nice to know that there’s a company in Finland, in the North, in Oulu that makes products like these. And that the people behind it are young and full of passion for doing something new.

Now they have loads of new products outside of only sunglasses, like jewelry, socks and ties. So you should really check them out!

About my glasses, I chose a pair of Aino glasses, that have a classic style and are timeless. Probably my favorite thing about them is that they feel like nothing on, almost weightless. The material is certified rose wood which is beautiful. When ordering you can choose from two different lenses, I chose the grey ones to get that classic feel.

Photo Jasmin Helmi

Here’s a little interview about the brand with the guy behind it, Vili Huovinen.

Where did the idea for Wulf came about? / How did Wulf started?

I got the idea for Wulf years ago. When I was just a kid, I coded nice looking websites with my computer and dreamed to launch this store someday. Now I’m studying business at University of Applied Sciences, I had finally all the knowledge to start my own shop. After making this decision I started to look products for my shop. It was a nice sunny day and the sun was dazzling my eyes, I started to think that we need some nice looking, comfortable to use and environmental friendly shades. And the product was found! The wooden sunglasses is a big thing these days and people are concerned about environment, so these shades were perfect for me.

Where the name for the brand came from?

Name was a little bit tricky one. I thought it a while, but without any good options. Then I called to my friend and told her that what i’m going to do and that I don’t have any good name ideas! “I don’t have any good name alternatives!” . Then my friend told me that the name should be something about me. Then I had it! Wulf is generated from my nick name. And because of the northern spirit wolf was a best choice for our brand image.

How important being sustainable and ecological is for your brand? Tell about what steps you and the producer of the glasses do to be good to the nature.

It’s everything! We are eager to sell best quality handmade wooden products and quality textiles. In our products we have been taken into account sustainability and environmental friendliness. And for the packing and product materials we want to minimize the burden on natural resources. This state of mind controls the whole operation of the company.

We are producing our glasses in China for now. Our manufacturer is also doing everything to minimize all the burden on natural resources. Example painting the products has special equipment that to prevent the paint to get touch with nature. And we use eco-friendly paint of course. They also has good wages and working conditions for the staff. Our manufacturer is small and liable. They have high standards for products and manufacturing them. We are also co-working with few carpenters to produce these products in Finland, but manufacturing requires special equipment that are pretty pricey. But we do our best to bring manufacture process to Finland.

Photo Jasmin Helmi

Was it hard to find a producer for your glasses?

Yes it was little bit tricky one. We have few rival companies in Finland and some of them use this same manufacturer. Of course we tried few other manufacturers as well, but this one is the winner with quality and liabilities.

What would you want people to think when they think of your brand?

High quality and environmental friendliness in a cool package.

What are your brand values?

Respect for nature

Best customer service = happy customers

We want you to love our products as much as we do!

Where do you see your brand in 5 years or wish for it?

I hope we got good retail network in Finland in few years. And we want to expand into clothes, we are going to launch “made in Finland” shirts in near future.

And for our internationals, is it possible to order your glasses outside Finland?

Of course! We got international shipment, and it’s free for over 15€ orders for now! Please be free to check our websites and check out our collection!

I first saw the logo of DOXA early last summer, while I lived in Copenhagen. Probably through Instagram and started following them, thinking that they had a nice look to their gear. I wanted to interview John Hansen, the creator and designer behind the brand, to get to know why and how it all started.

John is a seasoned runner and designer who wanted to bring a clothing line for running that would work through the workout to everyday life. I really like how he’s looking at this idea and how he also wants to do good while he’s at it. DOXA has a Kickstarter campaign now for their first capsule collection and they will give 50 race singlets to Kenswed Academy in Nairobi, Kenya, if the campaign is funded. The school is a way to give the children a chance for better living conditions and future. Here’s the link to the school for you to check it out .

Who are you and what is your background?

My name is John and I’m 36 years and have worked with fashion for 15 years, the last 1 year as self-employed in AITY Consultancy, where I do design work for different danish brands.

Alongside all this I have DOXA – the place where I unite my passion for running and my hobby and interest in fashion. I live in Copenhagen where the social running crews has been exploding the last few years. This definitely awoke my interest even more of combining fashion and running – to become a part of the new athleisure trend.

What is Doxa? And what is it to you?

As mentioned above, DOXA is more or less the person I am, running, fashion and lifestyle combined into one.

DOXA is everything for me, but at the moment I’m not able to make a living by the brand, but hopefully it will turn into that one day.

Where did the idea behind Doxa come from?

DOXA was born out of my idea to bring something new into the running scene. I know I can’t compete with the more established brands such as Nike and Adidas, but there is a lot of space for other brands, who makes cool running gear with an urban approach. Because these days people want to look cool before, during and after their social run with all their friends, colleges and maybe their love of life – who knows.

Where the name Doxa comes from?

I wanted to create a name that had a visuel effect and that I could work with in different prints and effects on my product. I like the different geometric shapes of the letters and the shortness of the name. It’s precise and direct and something people hopefully will remember. Another important aspect for me, was that I could incorporate one of the letters in my design and prints-the letter X.

What is / will be the difference with Doxa compared to other similar brands?

I think that DOXA is different because of the fashion angle. A lot of running apparel maybe looks too sporty(boring) and functional compared to how most customers actually wants to look. When I go by the subway to a park far away to do my trail I would like to blend in with the people and not look like a nerdy runner, who caught the bus like a fail. So in my opinion DOXA is the brand that’s missing in the athlesiure arena-the brand that combines fashion with functionality and makes people look cool. In the end that’s what most people want to.. 🙂

My hope is that DOXA will be sold from fashion stores and giving the costumers the opportunity to combine it with their daily wear. This is also different from what most other similar brands do-a traditional distribution would be through classic sportswear stores. But I believe that DOXA fits in with a mix of fashion and sport and has an edge that will make costumers notice DOXA on the shelves.

Where does the ideas come, with patterns and fits, from?

I combine sport with fashion, so my ideas is born in fashion with the intention of incorporating it with the functionality in sportswear. The fit is the most important part of the product. As a runner myself I know the importance of a good fit, without that you can’t perform. But I also believe that fit is not everything, with the great interest in sportswear you need something that stands out and the customers feel that their running gear reflects their style. People want to feel fashionable while running, not only while out running but also on the way to the running field and when hooking up with their friends after.

Where do you see Doxa in 5 years? What are your goals?

Hopefully I’m able to work with DOXA as my main business and make a living out of it. I would love to see my brand represented all over the world in selected fashion and sportswear stores. And at the same time I want to keep on working with Global Relations to keep on creating better opportunities for the young talents in Nairobi. Hopefully we can create something bigger and greater together. It’s important for me to be able to contribute to the ones that need the help and support to succeed. And if sometime in the future my work with DOXA could make some young kid in Nairobi life a little bit better, I could not be more thankful.

How did you come up with the idea of doing this all with Kickstarter?

After a lot of brainstorming with a good friend about how to get a new upcoming brand out to the costumer, we came up with the idea to try Kickstarter. I needed a platform to show my work and my dedication to running and the good work at Kenswed. Kickstarter is a great place for new brands to start up and a forum that reaches out to so many people. The interest has been great, but there’s still a long way to the gold. Whether I reach it or not, it has been an amazing journey and I’ve learned so much on the way. Hopefully I will reach my goal and then being able to contribute to Kenswed and send out all the cool runninggear to my cool backers. Kickstarter is hard work, but the risk is low and I would diffidently recommend it to anyone who wants to make awareness of their products and needs there funding to get started.

Do you have some connection to Kenya or where did the idea for that come from?

The idea was born from the simple idea; that I really wanted to do something good for others not as privileged as me. I met a guy when I was out running with Runners United, we talked a lot about his work in Kenya with the young running talents. He told me how tough their living circumstances were and how running often is a way out of poverty. His good friend Per-Olof Hansson is founder of the NGO Global Relations that works with the young people in Nairobi. So I contacted him and we started talking and sharing ideas. I really admire his work and feel honored to be a part of it.

And last but not least…

What does running mean to you?

It means the world to me! It’s my space away from everything, where I come up with new ideas, where I clear my head and where I gain new energy. Running is my life! I’ve been doing it for over 25 years and I will keep on running as long as my legs let me..

There’s people who are able to inspire you from afar, my friend Siv is one of those people. I love how she’s stayed very true to herself and the things she loves all these years, something not all of us can do. In my books she is insane amazing and I really wanted to introduce her to you all too. She’s about as passionate about snowboarding as you can be, with all the tenacity that comes with the sport that can break you at times, but always bringing you back up on the board. Siv is one of the founders of Piruliina, group of amazing ladies who pretty much rocks and know how to ride their snowboards. She’s an ambassador for POW – Protect Our Winters , an organisation that through snowsports keep us informed and updated about the importance of climate change and how we can do our part in saving our winters and the world too.

who are you, where you come from, what do you do? tell a little about yourself

I’m Siv and I’m 29yrs old. I’m from Norway but nowadays I live in one of my favourite cities Helsinki, and
I pretty much live for snowboarding.

what does snowboarding mean to you, why did you start it?I guess it’s the basic story: as a kid I saw some guys snowboarding and it seemed sooo cooool that you just had to try it out. And now 16yrs later I couldn’t be more happy about that decision! Snowboarding has given me so much during my life. It’s just this great passion that kind of controls your whole life on in a positive way.

what made you start Piruliina, and what is it about?

We were riding together with a group of girls and decided to start filming so we needed to come up with a name. The name Piruliina actually comes from spirulina. For us it’s all about doing what we love, it’s about friendship, wellbeing and especially having fun!

where do you see yourself and Piruliina in 5 years?

I have no idea even where I will be next month. I’m trying to live my life that way that I can enjoy the moment and don’t plan things too much ahead.

what are your future goals with sports?

To keep doing what I love and feeling good about it. Of course I’m hoping to keep progressing but the main thing is to keep the good vibes on.

Photo by Harri Tarvainen

what are your favourite ways to stay active?

Eat good, sleep good and do what I love. That keeps me active, though nowadays you don’t get away with those things you used to younger.. so yoga is one way to cope with all those bails you get from riding.

what does health mean to you?

Health is something I am really grateful of. It’s not something you should take for granted. With our own lifestyle choices you can do a lot. I love to eat healthy and cherish my health because it makes me feel good.

three things you could not live without?

Good food, water and sleep haha.

how do you get inspired? what keeps your fire burning?

All the good vibes I get from my friends, snowboarding/other sports and music keeps me going. I love the feeling when you feel good and get some adrenaline. Of course there’s some bad days in between but that’s life, you need to eat some shit every now and then to really appreciate the good stuff again.

what would you tell to your teenage self?

What’s done is done, worrying wont get you anywhere.

social media
instagram @knudsensiv

a big thank you Mirka, keep the good work up ❤ and to this, thank you Siv for sharing a bit of you with me ❤ !

You can go and vote for Siv in Spine Magazines Awards, she’s nominated for Suomi/Finnish PRO and her crew Piruliina is there too, go and vote!! Here’s the link

I was asked to be one of the Inspiring Women on THATINDIERUNNER website on month of August, which is the Women’s Month in South Africa. To be honest I felt like “what, me, why?!”, but was more than honored to do it!

Thank you so much Atlegang for thinking of me and giving me this opportunity! 🙂

This amazing lady, Jesica Salyer, is rocking in ways that I am aiming for. She’s all about keeping it clean, in nutrition, beauty and fitness. I love that she embraces her natural beauty and is truly herself and pushes others to love themselves like that too! She is truly an inspiration and motivation for me to keep pushing on the road I have chosen. She writes a blog called Run On Organic, which is one of my favorites. She has really good reviews and recipes too. And her spirit is just pure joy!Name, age, where you are from, what do you do

Jesica Salyer, 26. Originally from Jupiter, Florida and now living in Leawood, Kansas with my husband and daughter (it doesn’t feel right calling her my stepdaughter–I see her and treat her as my own. She’s a gift).

Why did you start to run?

Running was the foundation of training for soccer–which I was very involved in growing up, mainly for soccer. Initially I had to do it, then I grew to love it and embrace it.

What running has given to you?

Running has given me a multitude of things–the biggest of which is my belief in myself. Running has also shown me that discipline and a strong work ethic make you a better person all around. Running makes me feel passionate and inspired–& on fire! Running is my go-to activity when I am stressed or when I need an answer for something in my life.

Goals when it comes to running?

I’m not a big goal girl. I don’t write things down, I don’t plan workouts. If I had to describe a goal that’s running related, it would simply be to never stop trying and to never lose my passion for running.

Favorite race/race memory?

Without a doubt, running the Garmin Marathon in April ’14. My family was there to support me and I felt so much love radiating around me. It’s one of the highlights of my life. I am proud of myself for persevering, given that I do not have a runner’s frame. I’m 5’9″, 175 lbs–and it was a tough, knee pounding, grueling challenge–I am happy to have experienced it.

Personal golden tip/motto when it comes to running?

Golden tip: what a great way to say that! 🙂 My golden tip(s) for running are multifaceted:

-Don’t ever forget for one second that not everyone on this planet is able to run. It is a GIFT. Not a chore.

-Always find passion in every run. Whether that means looking up into the sky and watching birds fly past you, or watching children play soccer as you pass the park, or simply admiring the lush, beautiful, abundant trees around you–Marvel at your surroundings, feel the tension and power in your legs, feel each stride, be present.

-Run like you do did as a child–free, careless, fearless, exuberant.

Favorite running product?

Since I use them so religiously, I’d have to say my Nike Free TRs, my Lululemon headhugger headbands and my beats headphones. They’re the mainstays in my routine.

Favorite thing (to do) outside of running?

Watching my family smile and laugh. Being on or near salt water.

Guilty pleasure, anything (music/food/drink/whatever) if you have?

Chocolate, greasy fried food, red wine, Sex & the City reruns.

What inspires/motivates you?

Thinking about why I am on this planet. Being a bright, shining light–a ball of joy and happiness. That motivates me at my core.

Favorite song/book/movie/shoe/city?

I really enjoy music. I listen to it while I run, and it takes workouts to another level. It’s very hard to pick one song. How is that possible? I’ll choose 4 of my favorites (2 old, 2 new)